Improvement in car-couplings



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W. L. "YOHN. CAR-COUPLING.

Patented June13, 1876.

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W. L. YOHN. CAR-COUPLING. No.'1,78,8Z8. Patented J'une13, 1876..

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CAR-COUPLING. No. 178,828. Patented June13,1876.,

Unrrnn STATES PATENT iQFFIeri.

WILLIAM L. YOEIN, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 178,828, dated June 13, 1876; application filed May 9, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. YOHN, of Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in (Jar- Gouplings; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,.and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is 'aperspective view of my improved coupling detached from a car. Fig. 2 is a like view of the body or frame of said coupling and its operative parts separated from each other Fig. 3 is a plan view of the upper side of the same, the dotted lines showing changes in the position of the buffer and link. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of said coupling upon a line passing from front to rear, the dotted lines showing the couplingpin in position for engagement with the link 'of another coupling; and Fig. 5 is a like view of the same, the arrangement of parts last named being shown by the full lines.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures. H

The design of my invention is to increase the facility and safety with which cars may be connected with or disconnected from each other and to this end, it consists, principally, in the means employed for raising, setting, and tripping the coupling-pin, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists, further, in the means employed for connecting a link permanently to or with the coupling, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

, It consists, further, in the means employed for automatically changing the position of the outer end of the permanently-connected link, so as to cause it to coincide with the opening of the opposite coupling, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown and described.

It consists, further, in the construction of the spring push-bar, and in the means employed for moving the same longitudinally within its bearings, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists, finally, in the means employed for manipulating the pin-raising lever, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

In the annexed drawings, A represents a plate of metal, which has arectangular shape in plan view, and upon its upper'side, at one end, is provided with a vertical enlargement, B, that contains a horizontal opening, 0, which extends lengthwise of said plate, and is open ings b and I), through which a coupling-pin,v

F, may be inserted for the purpose of locking said link in engagement with said draw-head. In order that said pin may be withdrawn, when desired, the following-described mechanism is employed: From each edge of the plate A, at the rear end of the housing B, a standard, Gr, extends upward to a height equal to about twice the height of said housing, and at its upper end furnishes a bearing for one of the pivotal bearings h of a plate, H, which plate extends laterally between said standards, and from its said pivotal bearings extends downward to the upper face of said housing, and thence along the same to its front end, at which ,point the front end of said plate H is provided with an opening, 71/, through which the pin F passes. Secured upon the outer end of one of the pivotal bearings h of the plate H is a bar, I, that extends downward, and at or near its lower end has attached one end of a chain, K, which from thence extends forward, and has its opposite end secured to or upon the periphery of a sleeve, L, that is journaled vertically, and is provided with a hand-wheel, Z, by means of which said sleeve may be rotated. As thus arranged, the rotation of the sleeve L will cause the chain K to be wound thereon, the

lower end of the lever or bar I will be drawn forward, and the front end of the plate H will be raised, so as to disengage the pin F from the link E; A similar result is obtained by securing to one or both of the pivotal bearings h .a hand-wheel, M, which may be grasped brought into contact, the mechanism described below is used.

A buffer, N, which corresponds in shape to the front end ofthe housing B, is provided upon its rear face with two rods, to and a, that pass rearward through suitable openings, n and n, and enable said buffer to be moved freely toward or from said housing in a horizontal plane. To the upper central portion of the buffer N is attached a plate, a", which from thence extends rearward, within the upper portionof the opening 0, beneath the opening I) that contains the pin F. A slot, n, formed within the plate it, permits said pin to'be inserted in place when said buffer is at or near the inner limit of its motion; but when said buffer is drawn outward until the solid portion of said plate a is beneath the opening b,-s aid pin. cannot be moved down-- ward to place, but will rest upon: and be sustained in an elevated positionby said plate, as shown by Fig. 5. It, now, the cars are inward and the pin F released and permitted to drop to place. The buffer N is thrown outward, so as to sustain the pin, whenever the latter is raised, by means of the following construction: An arm, h, eXtend's,.-in acurve, rearward and downward from each side of the plate H, above the pivotal bearings h and h, and terminates at a" short distance/in rear of the end of one of the rods n; and when I and the position of the lower end of the pin insured, when said pin is raised, by means of a tongue, 0, which has the form in vertical section, shown in Fig. 5, is hinged at its rear end within the rear portioniof the plate H,

and extends forward between the lower face of the latter and the upper face of the housing B, at the transverse center of said parts, the outer end of said tongue being flush with the forward end of said plate, and a slot, 0, being provided in and through the same for the passage of the pin F. A stop, 0, upon therear end of the tongue 0, engages with the plate H, and causes the outer end of said tongue to commence rising just before said plate has lifted the pin F above the plate a, which position said tongue-prevents the lateral displacement of the lower end of said pin in the event of its being accidentally withdrawn from the opening I).

In consequence of the attachment of the tongue 0 below the pivotal bearings of the lifting-plate H, the former commences to ,ing 0, andis provided with two or more horizontal openings, 19 and 1), that have suitable dimensions to enable each to receive the end of a link, the latter, when in place, being held by said bearing-pin Q. At the rear of the block P is placed a spring-butler, R, which is I contained within a housing, S, that is secured toor upon the upper face of-the plate A, and,

.by means of suitable springs, T and '1, has its :head 9" held against the rear end of the link E, ,so as to cause the latter to project to its full limit beyond the outer end of 'the draw-head. Said spring-buffer is arranged to move longiltudinally, and may be pressed rearward by said link until the outer end of the latter is in rear of the coupling-pin F and sufficient :space is secured for the insertion of another 7 Jlink within the draw-head.

moved together,'the buffer N will be pressed E In order that the buffer B may be retracted 1 when desired an arm, r, is secured-to its lower side and, projecting downward through a slot,

'60, that is formed within the plate A, engages with one end of a transverse lever, U, which is f pivotedupon the lower face of said plate. A chain, a, secured to the outer end of the lever U, extends to and is connected with the periphery of a vertical sleeve, V, that forms the bearing for the sleeve L,-and at its upper end is furnished with a hand-wheel, Q7, by means of which said sleeve is rotated, so as to wind said chain thereon. A shaft, W, journaled within suitable bearings and passing vertically through the sleeves L and V, with a hand wheel, w, secured upon its upper end, has attached to itsperiphery one end of a chain, to,

i which chain from thence passes rearward varound a pulley, X, and thence forward to the lever U, to which it is connected. By rotating said shaft said chain will be wound thereon and said lever moved rearward, so as to "force the spring-buffer outward inthe event of the sticking of the latter. 7

' which corresponds in shape to and loosely incloses the edge of the buffer N, and is pivoted to the upper and lower edges of the same, at its transverse center, so as to be capable of an a independent oscillating motion in a horizontal plane. To the lower edge of the frame Y is attached a plate, 3 which extends-horizontally rearward, and terminates in a tongue, 3 that passes into a loop, 12, which is formed upon an arm, 1)", that extends rearward from the lower side of the block P. It, now, the frame Y is oscillated upon its pivotal bearings, the ton gno y will be moved laterally, and, through the arm 1), will cause the block P to be turned, so as to change the front end of the link E from one side to the opposite side of the drawhead, said link end being turned toward the side of said frame, which is pressed rearward. This arrangement causes "thelink to be always turned toward the inner side of a curve, as the moving frame will first come into contact with v the draw-head of the opposite car at its inner end.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim as new 1. In combination with the coupling-pin F, the plate H, pivoted to or between the standards G and G, and provided with an opening, h, for the reception of said pin, the lever I attached to one of the bearings of said plate, the jonrnaled sleeve L, and the chain K, which extends between said sleeve and lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the link E and with the opening 0, of the housing B, the block I provided with the link-openin gs p and p, and pivoted within said opening 0 by means of the frame Y, pivoted to or upon the buffer N and provided with the plate y and tongue y, that engages with said loop, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

4. In combination with the link E, contained within an opening, 19, of the block P, the pushbar or buffer B, contained within the housing S, held with a yielding pressure against the rear end of said block by the springs T and T, and moved longitudinally by means of the lever U, sleeve V, shaft \V, and chains to and 20, substantially as and for the purpose specifled.

5. In combination with the plate or lever H, constructed as shown, the tongue 0 pivoted within the lower side of the same, and arranged to operate as aguide for the coupling-pin F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of April, 1876. it

WM. L. YOHN. Witnesses:

GEO. S. PRINDLE, WILLIAM Frren. 

